The Candlelight Effect
by zekatamri
Summary: A Valentine's Day Sheldon/Penny Fanfic. What happens when Sheldon and Penny both find themselves alone on Valentine's Day. Rated M for sexual situations.
1. Chapter 1

Penny couldn't believe it had actually happened. It was February 14th, and she didn't have a date on Valentine's Day for the first time in, well her life that she could remember anyhow. She planned to spend it alone in her apartment, curled up on her couch watching Robert Downey Jr. DVDs: Iron Man, Heart & Souls and Ally McBeal Season 4. Hey, she thought, if she didn't have a real boyfriend, a fake one would do. After having a bath and lighting some candles around her apartment, she dimmed the lights and curled up on her sofa in a warm blanket. Even if it was California, it was February, and much colder than usual. Just as she began sipping her second glass of red wine, she heard a familiar knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock, Penny, knock, knock, knock, Penny, knock, knock, knock, Penny.

Of course, she thought to herself, Sheldon didn't have a date either. She hadn't actually talked about Valentines Day much with Sheldon or Leonard. She had assumed that since neither of them had girlfriends; it wasn't a day that they were looking forward to. She begrudgingly got up from her warm cocoon and went to the door.  
Sheldon had been forced to abandon his apartment after unexpectedly, Leonard had brought home a date for the evening. Leonard had met her at the music store earlier in the day when he had gone to get some more rosin for his cello; they proceeded to have dinner together and then return to the apartment, after which Sheldon was told, in no uncertain terms, to "Go Away". As Penny opened the door, Sheldon saw the dim lights and candles and figured that she too had someone over for the night.

"Sorry to bother you... I think I'll just go for a walk." he said as he turned away from the door. Penny had seen him peer into her apartment and quickly figured out what he was thinking.

"Wait, Sheldon, there's nobody else here. What's up sweetie?" she asked, actually thankful for the company. Even Sheldon was better than Sad Valentines Day Alone.

"Penny, I need to ask you a big favor, and since we are *friends*" (she began to roll her eyes ever so slightly) "well, Leonard is preoccupied with another female and has therefore enacted rule 54 of the roommate agreement."

"Huh?" Penny wondered where this was leading.

"Leonard has ejected me from the apartment so he can, mate with his female companion"

"Oh, Leonard's getting lucky and you need some place to lay low? Sure, no problem, Sheldon. " She smiled at him.

"Way to go Leonard!" she said aloud. Sheldon stared at her quizzically, totally not amused.

He entered the apartment and carefully observed the atmosphere. He noticed Penny had paused the DVD player about 20 minutes into Iron Man. At least this was a movie that they both liked, he bemused to himself. He sat down on the couch. This was Valentine's Day, and he was going to be spending the evening with a female that society, and even he deemed attractive. He reflected back on the past Valentine's Days he had spent alone, and thought it would be an interesting question to ponder, whether this Valentine's Day would be noticeably different from any of the others, now that he was with someone like Penny. Penny poured herself a third glass of red wine, and offered some to Sheldon. "You know I don't drink" he replied, and picked up the remote to start the movie.

He didn't really like the fact that there were so many candles burning, but since he was a guest, he decided not to mention it. He also noticed that it was particularly cold in the apartment, but decided not to mention that too. There was a suitable solution to that problem, a blanket on the sofa. Since it was so cold, they both took a portion of the blanket, Sheldon curled at one corner of the couch and Penny at the other.

Penny was feeling the buzz of the wine and the extra warmth that Sheldon provided under the blanket. Slowly her feet touched his shins and instantly they were warm. Sheldon noticed this contact but didn't think much of it, and continued watching the movie. Before he knew it, the movie was over, Robert Downey Jr. had revealed himself as Iron Man, and Penny had fallen asleep.

Sheldon tried to remove himself from their foot entanglement without awakening Penny but was finding it quite difficult. He slowly extracted his feet and Penny slouched over, looking rather awkward. He got up from the sofa and tried to lift her up, perhaps enough so she would wake up and he could lead her to her bedroom for a comfortable night's sleep. He never slept on the sofa, for obvious reasons (back spasms, improper circulation), and he was going to try to make sure that she didn't have to either. He stood in front of her and leaned over, putting his hand under her arm and around her back, and with a swift lifting motion, got her to her feet.

Penny had been dreaming of being at a wonderfully swanky Valentine's Day Dance, dressed impeccably in a classic black floor length gown that reminded her of the Hollywood glamour of the 1940's. She was sitting at a dinner table, watching the dance floor when she had been asked to dance by a tall dashing man in an impeccably cut tuxedo, and he had given her his hand to assist her out of her chair.

She placed her hand on his and looked up into his face, but for some reason she couldn't make it out. She chose not to, and continued to the dance floor, where they proceeded to sway to the music, the wonderfully romantic song; the lights from the chandeliers glistening off of the dance floor like stars; the atmosphere a dream.

She opened her eyes and looked up to realize she had indeed been dancing, but with Sheldon. At first, she was shocked, but chose to remain in this dance hold, swaying to the imaginary music. She was too tired to care who she was dancing with. But really, how bad was Sheldon? He was a gentleman, respectful, and obviously cared enough to try and not let her sleep sprawled out on her tiny sofa. Besides, his body felt warm in her cold apartment, and their two bodies fit together surprisingly well. At first, when Sheldon had lifted her up off of the sofa, she unexpectedly put her arms around his neck and had started swaying to what he determined was music of the imaginary type. He was surprised at this development, but chose to go with it, reasoning that she was at least moving, and it would make his task of returning her safely to her bed much easier.

It actually *was* kind of nice, he secretly thought to himself. Having never been to a dance, he analyzed this new physical contact. Their bodies did fit together remarkably well. Here they were, in this perfect setting, Valentine's Day night, in a cozy apartment, now lit only by candlelight, swaying to music that only they could hear. It was almost like he was under some sort of magical spell, not unlike what a 3rd level Mage could throw during a D&D game.

He did not realize at first that she had woken up from her sleep, but he then felt her hands and arms tighten around his neck, and a low moaning sound. To his surprise, she did not immediately back away from him, but in fact held him tighter. He analyzed his thoughts. This was altogether not an unpleasant experience; he had always thought Penny was a very likeable, friendly person, and if he let himself go there, someone that he could form an attraction for. Not that he had any use for that sort of thing. But, in this magical trance he was feeling something he had not felt before.

He was quite sure that she was either inebriated, or thought he was someone else. It really surprised him when she lifted her head, looked straight into his eyes and whispered "Sheldon". At this point, he knew that she was not drunk.

Penny figured, why not? It was after all, Valentine's Day and she was in the arms of an intelligent, attractive man; her love life had sucked this past year and she had no other prospects. Sheldon, as he was, was unique, and not ashamed to be himself, a quality she admired, and she knew took a lot of strength. What she didn't expect was that he would kiss her.

Sheldon, being new at this type of thing began searching his brain for the correct protocol. He was interpreting Penny's body language and never being too shy to speak up, decided this was no time to be shy either. He dipped his head down and kissed Penny's sweet lips, the both of them still swaying to the rhythm of a silent song.

Penny's body ached for this kiss; it had been so long since her last that she quickly responded and returned the gesture. She wasn't sure if he had much experience with this, so she took it slowly, but she quickly discovered he had some hidden talents. He moved his hands up from her waist to her neck and shoulders, pushing her towards and then against the living room wall with his body. She felt her whole body start to tingle as she brought her hands down to Sheldon's waist, pulling up his shirt and putting her hands underneath, grabbing at his bare back with her hands, grasping at him, pulling him closer to her.

The moonlight peered in through the windows, illuminating a strip of light along the floor behind them. Their tongues were clashing at each other, each daring, suggesting the other to do more, that they proceed further, that they allow their minds to go to the inevitable place their bodies were leading them. Sheldon somehow found both of her hands and then took hold of her wrists, pinning them to the wall on either side of her. He began to kiss Penny's face and then her neck, which he knew was one of a woman's seven erogenous zones.

Holy Crap, she thought to herself, he's good at this, and allowed her body to succumb to the pleasure it was receiving.

Sheldon was finding it difficult to focus but was remembering what he had read in Men's Health magazine and from movies he had seen. From her physical reaction, he knew he was on the right track. He found this whole experience an un-definable challenge, a challenge to his mind, his body, and his emotions - to please the woman, to please Penny, in a purely physical way. It was something he knew he wanted to continue, he secretly admitted to himself. It's not like he had much of a choice in the matter at this point. His reasoning skills were slipping away with every touch, moan, grasp that Penny was levying on him.

She began to kiss him on the lips again, this time taking his hand and leading him to her bedroom. She was, after all, a "Big Ol' 5". He willingly followed her. When they got there, he pushed her backwards onto her bed......


	2. Chapter 2

Penny was overwhelmed by what she was feeling. Here she was, on Valentine's Day, in a darkened room, on her bed, with her next-door neighbor Sheldon on top of her. She could not believe it. What specifically she could not believe was how good he was making her feel.

She had always been a relatively open person, not quick to judge, giving everyone a fair shot. In the past, it had backfired, with men like Kurt and Mike, being too trusting, too open. For some reason, this felt different. When she really thought about it (which was quite difficult at the moment), Sheldon was better than them - as a person, and in *other* ways too. She blushed when she thought about that. He was just about the best kisser she had ever kissed. She felt the effects of the red wine, the warmth of Sheldon on top of her. He moved to kiss her neck, slowly making his way down to her collarbone. She shivered. She was trying to figure out why Sheldon was so good at this.  
This was very unlike him, he thought as he kissed Penny's collarbone, and felt her tremble slightly. He didn't have any experience in this area but from what he could deduce he was doing very well. His actions became less intellectual and more instinctual, and he was feeling himself get more and more stimulated by this encounter. He had always wondered, if anything, what traits he had inherited from his father. He thought his abilities as evidenced by this situation might be one trait. After all, he did have two other siblings plus himself. His confidence increased by this reasoning, he imagined what one Mr. Tony Stark might do, and began to undo the three buttons at the top of Penny's tank top.

Penny's body ached for this, for *gulp* Sheldon's touch. She desperately wanted him to touch her, all over. He looked up at her after he had unbuttoned her top. She stared into his eyes; there was no mistaking what was happening here. His eyes told her what he wanted, no doubt, unequivocally, her, in this moment. She was swept up by his gaze, and responded in kind. There were things that you thought about, reasoned with, mulled over; waited for. This was not one of them. They both knew what was about to happen. And with one bout of seemingly telepathic communication, the agreement was made. There was no turning back.

It's not like somewhere, both of them didn't feel the attraction between them before tonight. Through fighting with each other, they had formed an attraction like no other, where both of them felt a respect for the other despite their differences, and an attraction, however subconscious until tonight, because of them. She remembered when, however misguided, Sheldon had cleaned her apartment for her. When he had selflessly taught her Age of Conan, the look he gave her when she repeatedly shot him while playing Halo. How could she have missed it before? He remembered all of the times she had driven him around; to work, grocery shopping, the comic book store. How she had given him the Leonard Nimoy napkin. His skill at repressing emotion was better than even he had imagined. It was oh so pointless now.

Penny pushed Sheldon off of the bed so he was standing beside it, and she was sitting in front of him. She lifted off her shirt to reveal a white lace bra beneath. Sheldon, taking his cue from her, removed his shirt, while Penny quickly took off her pink track pants and kicked them aside. She then began to unbuckle Sheldon's belt, while he began kissing the back of her neck, just behind her right ear. Unexpectedly, Penny's alarm clock radio turned on, to station KIIS FM - she had set it for 11pm by accident, instead of 11 am for work tomorrow. The station was playing a special valentine's program, "and now back to Valentine's for Lovers"; the DJ announced before romantic music started to play. Both of them took this as a sign, that yes, they were meant to be together tonight.

Penny guided Sheldon, both of them now in their underwear, under the covers of her bed. Sheldon lay on the bottom now, and Penny started once again with a deep kiss on his lips, their tongues intertwining like they were desperately trying to reach within and grasp the essence of each other. She felt light headed, and then proceeded to kiss Sheldon on his earlobe, on his neck, his chest, and judging by the sounds that he was making, she was on the right track. She hoped that her experience in this area would help Sheldon have an experience that he would never forget. She felt his hands move up her thighs; the sensation made her shiver at how good it felt.

Sheldon moved his hands over her rear and curved them around her narrow waist; thinking to himself that it was remarkable that the curves of a woman such as Penny could drive him so *wild*. He didn't know what to call this feeling, really. What he did know was that he was enjoying himself in ways he hadn't realized were possible. He was finding it so difficult to concentrate, with her kissing his earlobe, then neck and chest. He admired her skill and expertise in this area. He was feeling more connected to Penny than ever before, like he had developed a physiological need for her, like the basic elements of life; food, water, air. He moved his hands further up her back, to the clasp of her bra; feeling it with his fingers to determine how he could remove it, and fast. Sheldon knew most bras had a simple hook and eye mechanism and this one felt no different; he had found a bra Penny had dropped on the floor the laundry room before and had examined it carefully before slipping it back into her laundry basket.

"I'll get that" Penny grinned, as she once again looked Sheldon in the eyes; and before she had a chance to move her hand back to undo it, she felt the clasp release.

Damn he was good, she thought. Penny smiled at him while she helped him slip the bra off and then she literally gasped when she felt Sheldon's hand grasp her breast, her entire body pulsated, its wanting having been fed this little bit of appetizer. She let out a small moan before pulling Sheldon onto his side, and going in for another deep kiss. This entire situation was just boggling her mind. It was different, exciting, stimulating, all in one. She could feel herself getting more and more aroused by the second. She pulled her leg around his and drew him closer to her; pulling him against her. She wanted him; she wanted Sheldon, in the most primitive, animalistic way. His hand continued to *somehow* expertly grasp her breast, stimulate her and drive her totally wild. She pulled her hand free of this melee and dragged it along Sheldon's torso to his stomach, dragging it just above the waistband of his briefs, waiting for his affirmative response to permit her to dive the rest of the way in.


	3. Chapter 3

Sheldon quickly analyzed the situation; here he was in the arms of the most amazing woman, on Valentine's Day, in her bed, about to experience what he never had before. He was eagerly anticipating what would happen next, more so than anything in his life before this. Even the feeling of counting down the days to the release of the Phantom Menace, or Star Trek Generations didn't compare in the slightest to this.

Sheldon gulped slightly as he felt Penny's hand slide sideways across his stomach; his entire body tensed and then began to feel a warm tingle of sensations. He had his hand on her soft, incredible breast, and she was about to put her hand somewhere too. She held her hand against his stomach. He knew she was waiting for him to give the okay, to allow her to go where no one but he had gone before (well, aside from medical professionals). He blushed a bit at the thought but then thought of its wonderful physical implications; and wondered what it would feel like for Penny to touch him in that way. Although he was very nervous, the fact that she was in effect still waiting for his okay was one of the things that he admired about her - that turned him on even more than he thought possible.

He felt her slip one finger beneath the waistband of his briefs, moving it from side to side in anticipation, drawing it along his stomach in a wonderful type of movement that made him stop thinking for a moment. He let his body react in anticipation, however briefly. Having a superior brain such as his though; he quickly came back around and began kissing Penny deeper than before; increasing the level of intensity. It was his non-verbal message to her that yes; he was ready to take that next step.

She took Sheldon's new interest in kissing as the "Go" sign, took an anticipatory breath and slid her whole hand in. She had felt him getting more and more aroused all evening, but had politely taken her time getting to this point. Now that they were *really* at the no-turn around point, she liked what she was feeling. The smoothness, warmness and unexpected size of what her hand was sensing made her bite Sheldon's lip slightly; she really was beginning to lose control. She began to pull his underwear off, and he likewise hers; with a quick flail of legs, blankets and clothing, they were both completely naked and in each other's arms.

Sheldon had really almost lost all of his reasoning ability when Penny had touched him and bit his lip in response; he took this as a good indication that she was pleased with what she found. When she began to remove his bottoms, it forced him to really draw on his strength and his remarkable cognitive abilities. He began to feel, to analyze, and determine what to do next. As far as this evening had gone, he wanted to remember every sensation she was making him feel, every new shiver, urge and desire.

At this point, they were both naked, he could feel himself between her legs, and he could feel that she was showing all of the expected physical signs of arousal. Wow, he thought to himself, this is really going to happen. He took a moment to open his eyes, and really take in the picture before him; Penny, in all of her beauty, her blonde hair, her green eyes, her smile, the softness of her skin, they way her body felt against his, they way her hands felt on his body. His overly analytical brain had turned on for just a second to realize the physical implications of such a night as this; they were both virile specimens in the prime of their lives; conception may be likely at this point.

He took the initiative to be responsible, paused from kissing Penny and asked "Protection?" to which she replied,  
"Don't worry Honey, I'm on the pill, and I'm otherwise clean". This news was exactly what the germophobe Sheldon needed to hear, the last barrier to fully committing to the physicality that was about to happen.

Penny wasn't worried about implications; she knew that Sheldon hadn't been with anyone else, and actually expected his question sooner than this. She admired his nerve to ask something like that in the middle of what was transpiring between them, and it actually turned her on even more - how uniquely Sheldon. She kissed him harder and with more fervor and he responded in kind. She felt his hand move towards her belly button, linger there and then move downwards. The sensation was like no other she had felt before; Sheldon certainly knew his way around the female anatomy. Why again was he so good at this? His fingers were warm and they deftly touched her, trailing up and down, being bathed in the wetness that she could not help, she was more turned on than she had ever been before. He placed one, then two fingers in her, and continued to move them in a smooth, intense motion, causing her back to arch and her to grab him close to her. It was like he knew exactly where to touch her, where she would respond the most intensely, the most physically. She needed him inside her, she needed to be satiated, and she couldn't wait any longer.

"Sheldon" she half whispered and gasped at the same time.

He knew that this was the moment that they both had been waiting for. He moved on top of her now, bracing himself above her with his elbows, his body positioned between her legs. He looked at her one last time, they stared into each other's eyes and he began to enter her, slowly at first; he could feel the heat she was radiating, it was all he could do to concentrate, to keep control of his physical self. She felt like a dream, better than he could have imagined how this would ever feel. He could feel her tighten around him at first but with every passing second he was able to delve a little deeper, go a little further than before until she held his entire length, he could feel her wrap her legs around the back of his thighs, pulling him closer to her; within her. She pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him deeply.

She hadn't expected Sheldon would be so big; but feeling him inside her was mind blowing. The way he slowly took his time, glided into her, how she could feel every sensation, the heat of their bodies together, her desire for him increase in intensity. She pulled him towards her and began to rhythmically move her hips, creating hot friction between them.

He responded to her movements, himself moving in response to them, with them, in perfect time and partnership to them. She could feel the sensation of him within her radiate to all corners of her body, like somehow there was a magical field between them that they were sharing, something special that only the two of them could create.

"Anhh" she breathed, in a pleasured response to his movements, the feeling intensifying within her.

He could feel himself losing what little control he had left. He quickly determined what he thought would be appropriate at this point, and he began to kiss her neck, to move his hands to her breasts. His mind was filled with analyzing new sensations and his reasoning ability was suffering. The purely physical side of him was beginning to take over. He was beginning to lose it. Quick, he thought, think of anything! As his brain battled with his body, he began to think of something easy for him, all of the elements of the periodic table in order.

Hydrogen, 1, Helium, 2, Lithium 3, what came next? "Mmm" escaped his mouth, he couldn't help it with the way she was making him feel.

Penny grabbed him closer to her, running her hands up and down his back and through his hair. It brought his head back down out of the clouds and once again brought the focus to her, every delicious second of it. This was a very pleasurable event, he deduced, not at all like he imagined it would be, and so many times better than he expected it could be. They were working together as a partnership, closer than they could ever be, contained within each other, responding to each other, responsible for each other. His feelings intensified, his arousal building, his senses heightened, not unlike a superhero with super-abilities. He began to move into her with more intensity than before, and she responded willingly.

"Aanh" she moaned, more loudly this time.

"Mmmm" - even louder. She bit his lip again. She knew that she was getting louder, that maybe the sound could be heard outside of the apartment. She didn't care.

She was heading towards the top of a mountain, the peak closer, within reach, the view becoming more and more satisfying the higher she got. The feeling of him inside her; his weight on top of her, the skill that guided his behavior, who he was, Sheldon, who she couldn't get enough of. Everything about him, they way he kissed her neck, her lips. The feeling had been building in her toes and now was more powerful than ever before. This wonderful man was responsible for driving her near and almost over the edge. She felt the feeling build more and more intensely, her heart beating more and more quickly, her breathing and his more and more heavy.

"Oh God" she murmured, unable to contain herself any further. She hadn't just jumped off the edge into the abyss below; she was running, flying to some place unknown, dangerous, uplifting, mystical; magical.

He had been trying his best to respond to her, to meet her physically, to give to her all he had; and he wanted her, needed her; required her. He too felt the intensity build within, but wouldn't let it relinquish him until he was sure that she was satisfied. His heart raced; his mind likewise until he heard these words from her. He could no longer resist, and felt himself succumb to the intensity, to the desire. He felt her shudder beneath him; he felt her pulsating around him, driving him insane with a pleasure that he was finding difficult for his analytical mind to process. He decided not to, and just let himself release, to collapse on top of her, to share in her release, her warmth, her beauty. The intensity, the intimacy of it all, he began to have emotions that he was not used to. They welled up behind his eyes. He kissed Penny's earlobe, her neck.

She wrapped her arms around him; could feel his tears on her skin. She held him close to her and just stayed in the moment, the feeling, the intensity, the newness; the overwhelming-ness of it all. She hadn't felt like this before with any of the other guys she had been with, never this open or vulnerable. What the two of them had shared was something special. She felt his breath on her neck get quieter as both of them slowly drifted off to sleep.

She awoke and looked at the moonlight streaming in through her bedroom window, the faint glow of light from the candles still burning in the living room, the soft red light from her alarm clock which read 2:35 am. The best of all the sights was the man beside her, sleeping against her; she felt a warm feeling wave over her as she realized again what had happened. A smile appeared on her face; she knew her life would never be the same, and she couldn't wait to figure out how the rest of the pieces that made up her and Sheldon would fall into place. This was by far the best Valentine's Day she had experienced, and yet she knew in her heart that the best was yet to come.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I found writing this last section a bit more difficult than expected, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless! I'm not sure if S/P *would* fall into bed so quickly, but its fun to imagine if they did :)


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